Monday, October 31, 2011

No one (least of all the TV weather-watchers) predicted that the northeast US would get socked with a huge snowstorm before Halloween. When cold weather hits we'd all like to follow the birds and fly to Florida. But, most of us can't take our jobs on the road so we have to do the next best thing- fire up the stove to cook winter dishes that'll warm us from the inside out.

Cooking for winter is easier than you think. Focus on soups and stews that can simmer for hours on the stove. The best thing about these dishes is that they often taste better and better as leftovers because the flavors continue to concentrate. Another thing we love about winter dishes is that they use great ingredients missing for the rest of the year like chestnuts, pomegranate, apples and cinnamon. Wash it all down with some warm, spiced apple cider and you're back in business!

To help you plan the perfect winter dinner menu, we revved up the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine and built a complete menu from appetizer to dessert.

You have the colorful Halloween recipes, now all you need is a costume!

Any other favorite themes, ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook for helpful updates in your news feed.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Halloween is almost here and we can hardly wait! Halloween is one of our favorite holidays because it's all about food and fun. Isn't it always a blast to see your friends and family dressed up in the weirdest costumes they could find? And then there are the great Halloween rituals like trick-or-treating, theme parties, jack-o-lanterns and eating pounds and pounds of candy.

Sure, we could have given you recipes for Boo-ritos and Fright Chicken, but we went straight to dessert because Halloween is all about fun. Few will be able to resist the power of Mini Halloween Cupcakes, Popcorn Pumpkins and Whoopie Pies. They can wash it all down with a cauldron of Black Punch.

To find the tastiest (and spookiest) recipes for your party, we revved up the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine for a colorful and delicious Halloween party menu.

You have the colorful Halloween recipes, now all you need is a costume!

Any other favorite themes, ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook for helpful updates in your news feed.

Monday, October 17, 2011

There are apples everywhere these days. Why? Because they're in-season, crispy and delicious. Over the last couple weeks we've been eating pounds and pounds of apples and now we're finally ready to start cooking with them.

With a little culinary research, we discovered what we already knew: apples can be used in all kinds of tasty dishes from appetizers to salads to entrees to desserts. Apples are a great pairing for many ingredients- they're a natural with cheeses, perfect with pork and delicious in desserts.

To bring you the very best apple recipes the world has seen, we revved up the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine and hand-selected 5 great recipes from the top food sites on the Web.

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook for helpful updates in your news feed.

Monday, October 10, 2011

In case you hadn't noticed, Halloween is right around the corner. Time to start planning those incredibly witty costumes! We find it helpful to think like Lady Gaga, who always looks like she's headed to a Halloween Gala.

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.

Monday, October 3, 2011

(View the recipe for these Smoked Salmon Beggar's Purses from the Food Network)For the longest time we thought wedding food could never be good and for the longest time no one was able to prove us wrong. Thinking back to all the weddings we've attended we remember dry chicken, overcooked steaks, oversized appetizers and soggy vegetables. Enough said.

But everything changed for good this past weekend when a member of the FoodPair team ate his way through a wedding in the Napa Valley (with perfect table manners, of course). Simply put, the food was delicious! Now, we're obsessed with replicating some of the dishes at home. Luckily, FoodPair has access to nearly a million recipes from the top food sites on the Web.

So, how was the food at this wedding so good? Let's start with the Beggar's Purse, a small pasta bundle stuffed with tender lamb and tied with a chive ribbon. There was also creamy Truffled Mac & Cheese served on a white ceramic spoon. Then, we got our hands on mini cones of Sashimi-Grade Ahi Tuna with wasabi cream and tobiko. And finally, there were bite-sized Polenta Cakes topped with diced veggies and tangy cheese.

If all that sounds good to you, and we know it will, take this opportunity to use the FoodPair Recipe Search Engine to find your favorite versions of the best wedding hors d'oeuvres on the planet.

Any other favorite ingredients or dishes you'd like us to highlight? Post them in the comments section or on our Facebook page! And while you're at it, "Like" us on Facebook to get helpful updates in your news feed.